Display-rack.



B. E. WILLETT. DISPLAY RACK; APPLlCAT-ION FILED NOV. 8. 1916.

1,247,195. Patented Nov. 20, 1917. I

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

B. E. WILLETT.

DISPLAY RACK.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.8 I916,-

' Famed Nov. 20, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- outrun sT TEs PATENT OFFICE. a

J BENEDICT EQWILLETT, or Y ON, 0310.

DISPLAY-RACK.

To-oZZ whom it may/ concern 1 Be it known'tliat I, Bia'xicnic'r E. VI LLnTr,

a citizen'of the United States, residing at Dayton, in the county ofMontgomery and Stateof Ohio, have invented a new and useful lmprovement in Display-Racks, of i which the following-isa specification This invention relates to a neiiic'and useful improvcnientin display racks;

In groceries and department stores' it is" desirable that fruits and vegetables beprominently displayed and at the same time "readily and conveniently handled. It is the principal objcct'of my' invention to meet this need by providing a display rack which is simple and durable in construction, and

. convenient in operations It is collapsible for shipment, and when'assembled, will firmly bold baskets for movemeutaround a vertical axis, or will receive'foiv'like movemeut, trays, screened receptacles or other display holders; It may be readily moved from place to place in a store and will support a great weight when desired.

{The preferred form of embodiment-of m invent on is illustrated in the accompanying drawings. of which Figure 1 is a plan view of one of the basket holding frames. Fig.

2 is an elevatioual view of a plurality of the rotatable basket holders in position upon the movable base. Fig. 3 15 an e'levational view of one of the vertical. bracing nieiiibers foi' 'tliewbasket"holding frames. F 1g. '4. IS a top I planvicw ofthe movable bottom or spider.

Fig. 5 is a top, plan view -.of one of the partitioned receptacles." Fig; 6"is a plan view of a receptacle, without partitions, that "maybe substituted in the rack forthemattitioned receptacle or aba'skct holder. F g.

7 is a side'viciv of areceptacle with a screened rim. Fig. 8 'is a i'plan view of the notched disk which 'receives the removable partitions at the ,center of the receptacle.

And Fig. 9 is an elevational 'view'of the derice which holds said partitions at the circular rim of said receptacle.

Throughout the specification and drawing's, similar reference characters denote corresponding parts. 1 i

In a detailed descr ption of-the preferred form of embodiment-of my invention, the

Specification of Lett'ers Patent. Patented No 20, 191'? 7 Application filed November 8, 1916. Serial No. 130,114. 1

or spider. This member 1 is suitably securedto a circular base plate 2 to which are boltedfldiagonal members 3 that extend outwardly' to the meeting points of side members 4 and end. members 5 which are preferably connected to form a square. This frame is supported by casters or rollers 6, one of numeral 1 desigpates a tubular member that is disposed vertically within a movable base which is secured belowthe base plate 2,

while the remaining four are positioned beneath the corners of said frame. The tubularmember 1 at its top supports an apertured plate 7 to which. extends, from each corner of the square base frame, a bracing piece 8. This construction makes a simple, I compact and durable base that may be easily which aresecured the ends of looped pieces 11 which; form the frames of the basket holders. These looped pieces are constructed of metal, and are preferably eggshaped in appearance. The inner straight ends 12 of these holders are radially disposed about the flanges 9 and 10, their elliptical. portions beginning at points in a 'common circumference described around the tubular member 1. (See Figs. 1 and 2.)

The adjacent portions 12 of the above described metallic pieces are connected to each cther and the flanges 9 and 10 as follows.

These portions 12 straddlescrew-threaded bolts 13 which pass through the tubular flanges 9 and 10 nearZ/the circumferential edges thereof, nuts 14 being applied to the lower ends of said bolts to draw said flanges tightly against the metallicpieces between them. The adjacent inner ends of the pieces 11, between the bolts 13 and the tubular portions of the'flanges 9 and 10, are connected by means of bolts 15. The inner ends of the pieces 11' are thus firmly, yet. 'removably, secured to the pipe flanges 9 and 10. At tliepoints where theyleave'the commoncircumference before referred togthe adjacent partsof the pieces 11. are; connected together upper holder is threaded to receive a tubular coupling member 19 which is threaded into the tubular portion of the pipe flange 10 of the basket holder below. The tubular membet 1 extends upwardly through the flanges. D

possible for partitions to bereadily added 9 and 10 of the lower basket holder, into the coupling member 19, whereby the basket holders connected by the latter may beree volved around the tubular member 1, the apertured plate 7 forming a bearing support for the tubular portion of the flange 9 of the lower basket holder.

In order to brace the two basket holders thus connected for rotatable movement about the tubular member 1, the vertical members 18 are placed between the corresponding adjacent portions of the looped pieces 11 so that the bolts 16 will lie in the notches 17 at said members, after which the 'nuts 20 on said bolts are turned to tightly compress said bracing membersbetween the adjoining parts of the looped pieces. A firm and read ily removable connecting structure for the basket holders is thus obtained.

While any number of basket holdersamerchant desires, may be thus connected for I a rotatable movement upon the movable base,

1 have shown four in Fig. 2. Each is secured to the one below by a tubular coupling member 19 and the vertical bracing members 18, in a manner similar to that just described for connecting the two lowermost holders. The basket holders are thus adapted to be readily increased in number, and easily separated from one another and the movable base by releasing the vertical bracing'members 18 and unscrewing from their respective pipe flanges, the coupling membars 19. In the case of the lowermost basket holder, the coupling member 19 and flanges lifted above the tubular The'looped pieces of each basket holder 'hifaythenbe separated fromeach other and the pipe "flanges 9 and'lO, by removing the bolts 13, 15 and'16, whereby they are in a condition to be'conveniently shipped. When the racks are assembled, the looped piece of each holder will'support a basket of fruit, vegetables or other merchandise in such a manner that, by rotating the rack or moving the base, it may be brought into a convenient position for displaying its contents to a customer or permitting a clerk to easily remove a part or all of them.

In Fig. 5 there is shown a partitioned receptacle to which the pipe flanges 9 and 10 may be secured, whereby it may be substituted for a basket holder in the display rack jus' described. Connected to the flange 10 is a otched cylinder 22, each notch 23- of which receives a removable partition 24.

The outer end of each of said partitions is receivedbetween the flanges 25 of a supporting piece 26 secured to the bbttom of the receptacle 21 near the circular rim thereof. (See Figs. 5, 7, 8 and 9.) This rim may comprise a screen 27 as shown in Fig. 7.

The construction above described makes it without partitions, and adapted to be substituted for the partitioned receptacle 21 or the basket holders, in the rack before described. Almost any form of receptacle,

tray or holder when equipped with the pipe flanges 9 and 10, may be conveniently made a part of my improved display rack.

I do not wish to be limited 'to the details of construction and arrangement herein shown and described, and anychanges or modifications may be made therein within the scope of the subjoined claims.

Havmg described my invention, I claim:

1. A display rack comprising a base, a basket carrier rotatably mounted thereon, said carrier comprising a pair of central flanges, looped members radially disposed about said flanges, fastening elements connecting said flanges together, and means dis-" posed between said fastening elements and the vertical axis of said flanges, for removably connecting the inner ends of said looped members.

2. A display rack comprising a base, a basket carrier rotatably mounted thereon, said carrier comprising a pair of "central flanges, looped members. radially disposed about said flanges, bdlts connecting said flanges together, the inper adjacent ends. of said looped members 5 raddlin said bolts, and means disposed between said bolts and the vertical axis of said flanges, for connecting the inner ends of said looped members.

3. A display rackcomprising a base, a

basket carrier rotatably mounted thereon,.

said carrier comprising a pair of central flanges, looped members radially disposed about said flanges, necting said flanges together, the inner adjacent ends'of said looped members straddling said fastening elements, bolts dis osed between said fastening elements an the fastening elements con- 1 vertical axis of said flanges, for connecting In testimony whereof I have hereunto set the ends of said looped members between my hand this 6th day of November, 1916.

the flanges, and means connecting the outer J BENEDICT 'E. \VILLE'IZT. adjacent parts of said looped members at Witnesses: 4 5 points equidistant from the axis of said HOWARD S. SMITH,

flanges. ERNEST T. HUsToN. 

